The core duties of the reference librarian inherently mandate that the work environment is not unlike a kaleidoscope: Students and faculty revolve within and around the library, and reference and public services workers do the same; every move temporarily redesigning the library, its collections, and even its very role on campus into something…

Now that the full text of patents as well as patent searching tools are available for free on the Internet, every librarian who is responsible for assisting people with science and technology information should have a basic knowledge of this aspect of intellectual property. Whether a school librarian helping children discover the world of…

As individuals become more and more comfortable mediating all kinds of situations online and through various technologies, their virtual selves increasingly overlap their "real" lives. Posting a "happy birthday!" message on Facebook is as automatic as dropping a card in the mail. E-mailing relevant links to co-workers happens as naturally as…

Describes the compilation of a quick reference chart of the main searching and printing commands and support features for the following command languages--Basis, Bibliographic Retrieval Service, Dialog, Elhill, Eurolanguage, Grips/Dirs, Orbit, Quest, Questel. Differences between command languages are discussed and a copy of the chart is appended.…

Very briefly describes a workshop on film and television documentation that informed participants about available reference and resource materials for information about films and television shows. (CLB)

Provides tips on searching Chemical Abstracts (CA). Discusses coverage, indexing policies, differences between the print and online versions, transliterations, arrangement of the print indexes, abbreviations, and importance of the CA Index Guide for effective searching. (MES)

This brief article describes the database, Science Online, from Facts on File. Science is defined broadly in this database to include archeology, computer technology, medicine, inventions, and mathematics, as well as biology, chemistry, earth sciences, and astronomy. Content also is divided into format categories for browsing purposes:…

Describes a search strategy method for bibliographic instruction in academic libraries that includes the major types of bibliographic tools and the prescribed sequence in which to use them. The strategy begins with dictionaries and encyclopedias, progresses through bibliographies and subject guides, and ends with periodicals and books. (five…

Despite the hype, the Internet has limitations as a reference tool. This article discusses the use of the Internet as a reference tool, examines bibliographic structure on the Internet (online directories, search engines, site structure, categorization of reference tools, levels of structuring), and argues the Internet provides no comprehensive…

Seventh grade students entering South East Junior High in Iowa City come from eight elementary feeder schools, as well as from schools around the world. Their information literacy skills and knowledge of reference sources vary, but since all seventh graders and new eighth graders are required to take one trimester of Visual Studies, all entering…

Details the use of established evaluation criteria that help identify quality Internet resources. The research process involves locating information based on resource type. Although this survey focuses on the Holocaust, the process is universal. (AEF)

Reviews overall publication scheme of authoritative version of federal statutes as issued by Queen's Printer of Canada to enable librarians to catalog and shelve materials in formal sequence. Characteristics of revision and sessional volumes and official lists and indexes used as finding aids for acts are examined. Gives six references. (EJS)

Outlines ways to make online searching more efficient. Highlights include starting with printed materials; online reference libraries; subject directories such as Yahoo; search engines; evaluating Web sites, including reliability; bookmarking helpful sites; and using links. (LRW)

Discusses the use of the OCLC Authority File for answering reference questions. Contents of the authority file are described, including personal, corporate, conference, and geographic names, uniform titles, and subject headings; accessing the authority file is explained; searching strategies are discussed; and examples of authority records are…

Describes an approach for linking geographically distributed collections of metadata so that they are searchable as a single collection. Describes the infrastructure, discusses advantages of using linked collections of authoritative metadata as an alternative to using a keyword-indexing search engine for resource discovery, and examines other…